Personalizing PS for diff schools? Forum

em15 · Post by **em15** » Tue Dec 27, 2016 9:08 pm

My pre-law advisor told me to save room at the end of my PS for a paragraph specific for each school. What's the consensus on this? Should I just save the more school specific info for "Why X" essays?

cavalier1138 · Post by **cavalier1138** » Tue Dec 27, 2016 10:10 pm

Either way works. In general, I would not listen to your pre-law advisor. I have yet to hear a story about one that knew what they were doing.

em15 · Post by **em15** » Tue Dec 27, 2016 11:15 pm

cavalier1138 wrote:Either way works. In general, I would not listen to your pre-law advisor. I have yet to hear a story about one that knew what they were doing.

Oh jeez. Thanks for the advice! I've gone to my advisor for all PS/resume stuff, so hopefully all my edits aren't all useless

zot1 · Post by **zot1** » Wed Dec 28, 2016 11:08 am

Not every school has a why X school essay, so you might need to address it in your general PS.

em15 · Post by **em15** » Wed Dec 28, 2016 12:17 pm

zot1 wrote:Not every school has a why X school essay, so you might need to address it in your general PS.

Thank you! What about for schools that do have a why X essay? Is it okay to just have a paragraph in general PS and not do optional why X essay? Or is it better to do the why X essay?

cavalier1138 · Post by **cavalier1138** » Wed Dec 28, 2016 12:20 pm

em15 wrote:
zot1 wrote:Not every school has a why X school essay, so you might need to address it in your general PS.
Thank you! What about for schools that do have a why X essay? Is it okay to just have a paragraph in general PS and not do optional why X essay? Or is it better to do the why X essay?

Depends on the school and your numbers. For example, if you're a really strong candidate at Michigan, you may still get YP-waitlisted if you don't do a "Why Michigan" statement separate from your PS. But other schools don't care.

In general, if you have a school that offers a "Why X" option that you really, really want to go to, then write the separate statement. Otherwise, a paragraph in the PS is probably fine.

em15 · Post by **em15** » Wed Dec 28, 2016 12:32 pm

cavalier1138 wrote:
em15 wrote:
zot1 wrote:Not every school has a why X school essay, so you might need to address it in your general PS.
Thank you! What about for schools that do have a why X essay? Is it okay to just have a paragraph in general PS and not do optional why X essay? Or is it better to do the why X essay?
Depends on the school and your numbers. For example, if you're a really strong candidate at Michigan, you may still get YP-waitlisted if you don't do a "Why Michigan" statement separate from your PS. But other schools don't care.

In general, if you have a school that offers a "Why X" option that you really, really want to go to, then write the separate statement. Otherwise, a paragraph in the PS is probably fine.

Makes sense, thank you!

zot1 · Post by **zot1** » Wed Dec 28, 2016 12:32 pm

Always write why X school essays.

floatie · Post by **floatie** » Wed Dec 28, 2016 12:43 pm

If its a school where there isn't a PS limit, then I think you could add in a paragraph. But what I've been advised to do (and what seems to be working so far) is to attach a "why X" as an addendum, if there isn't already a "why X" essay requirement. That gave me a lot more space to elaborate on "why X," rather than trying to cram it into an already-packed PS

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